Whether you are a student looking to save some extra money, a young family saving for a holiday, or just want to be able to spend less money on meals, this is the article for you. Having to even think of three meals a day is difficult, and when you think of how much it all costs to have a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner- it can have a troll on your wallets! In this article, we will be making budget meals, delicious meals! Now, let’s figure out the main ingredients to make a cost-effective meal.
Coupons!
Yes, it may be obvious but coupons are a great way of saving that extra bit of cash, with big supermarkets always offering some sort of loyalty program which is free to join and take the benefits. Some coupons can even be found online with a simple google search, and St Coupon Codes seem to do the job well! The ability to search and find coupons to use at a variety of different shops is amazing! You will definitely find a coupon code for your local shops.
Pasta and rice- everything nice
You may be thinking that pasta and rice are very boring and bland dishes, but that is not true! Pasta and rice are extremely cost-effective and give great amounts of fiber and energy to keep you going throughout the day. The fact they could be incorporated into so many different styles of dinners is perfect to configure the most cost-effective meal. From a simple curry to an Italian al fresco, to a Mexican chili- rice and pasta will be right up your street and goes well paired with any dish.
Buy bulk!
When purchasing food items that tend to be expensive, always go for the bigger portioned packages. For example, if you were cooking one meal with chicken breast, do not buy the 2 pack of chicken- buy a kilogram worth of chicken and freeze it! It works out as cheaper and by freezing it you are stopping it from going off but are also saving yourself the money in the long run. It is important to think ahead, by doing this you will also be saving the hassle of thinking of more dinners as you will remember you have chicken in the freezer. This is also the case with rice and pasta, buying these items in bulk as they do not go off quickly and it works out as cheaper in the long run.
Think about where you are buying from
We all know that some supermarkets are much more expensive than others- so maybe keep that in mind when you are shopping around? You do not want to be charged more if the quality is the same but the brand is different- don’t be a snob, save that dollar! This is also the case for certain food products- do not think that just because it is a popular brand it will be nicer than the cheaper option. Most of the time this is not even the case- try it yourself and it will become a positive habit of second thinking when choosing the more expensive option!
All in all, think carefully about what you put in your basket– when doing food shopping, the small items always add up somehow and make the total much more than we think! (happens to me all the time). Remember also that just because they are branded does not mean they’re good! The cheaper option will definitely thank your wallet!
